National News

US Sending 300 'Military Advisers' to Iraq

by Newser Editors, Newser Staff

(NEWSER) – President Obama said today he's sending 300 US "military advisers" to Iraq as Islamic extremists threaten to overtake Baghdad, reports the AP. But Obama reiterated that he will not send regular ground troops and dismissed a concern about "mission creep" in response to a question: "American combat troops are not going to be fighting in Iraq again," he said. But the US "will be prepared to take targeted and precise military action if we conclude the situation on the ground requires it." The new US team could provide intelligence and guide future airstrikes should the US decide to unleash them. Obama again pressured President Nouri al-Maliki to work toward a political solution—one that includes Sunnis and Kurds—amid reports that the US would like to see him go.